Man killed in Interstate 79 crash
The wreckage of a tanker sits on Weaver Run Road under Interstate 79 following a fatal crash Monday morning south of the Lone Pine exit.
The area of Monday’s fatal crash on Interstate 79 near the Lone Pine exit
A Westmoreland County man was killed in a fiery crash that began on Interstate 79 northbound near the Lone Pine exit in Amwell Township early Monday.
The driver, Paul Wahlbaum, 51, of Mt. Pleasant, was pronounced dead at the scene about an hour after the 5:15 a.m. crash, said Washington County Coroner Tim Warco.
State police said the water tanker driven by Wahlbaum was traveling in the right lane of Interstate 79 northbound, just south of the Lone Pine exit, when it swerved abruptly. The tanker struck a guardrail on the west side of the highway before hitting an embankment and becoming airborne, police said. The tanker went about 110 feet across a ravine before striking an embankment on the other side of the ravine along Weaver Run Road.
Lone Pine fire Chief Keith VanVarenberg said the cab of the tanker truck was engulfed in flames when they arrived. The driver had reportedly just left a gas well site after hauling water to it, and the tanker was almost empty when it crashed, VanVarenberg said. Fire crews had the fire out within 15 or 20 minutes.
The crash blocked both southbound lanes and a northbound lane of the highway so state police accident reconstruction specialists could take measurements. Weaver Run was closed for more than five hours so the fire could be extinguished, the tanker unloaded and wreckage removed. VanVarenberg said that road opened about 10:30 a.m.
VanVarenberg said there also was a minor crash on the interstate as crews were working in the area.
Also assisting at the scene were Amwell firefighters and crews from Ambulance and Chair Service. Wahlbaum was the third person killed on Washington County roads this year.